Building or edifice constructed for producing optical illusions.



No. 652,5l6. Patented June 26, I900.

- A. KUTIN.

BUILDING 0B EDIFIGE CONSTRUGTED, FOR PRODUCING OPTICAL ILLUSIONS.

(Application filed Feb. 6, 1900.)

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ETERS c0. PMYFQLITNQ, WASNINGTON a c No. 652,5l6. Pa tented June 26, 1900. A. KOTIN.

BUILDING 0R EDIFICE CONSTBUGTED FOR PRODUCING OPTICAL ILLUSIONS. [Application filed Feb. 6, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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Patented June 26, I900.

A. KUTIN. BUILDING 0B EDIFIGE GONSTRUCTED FOR PRODUCING OPTICAL 'ILLUSIONS.

(Application filed Feb. 5, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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UNITE ADOLPI-l .KOTIN, or LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO LE MANOIR A LENVERS, LIMITED, or SAME PLACE.

BUILDING 0R EDlFlCE CONSTRUCTED FOR PRODUCING OPTICAL ILLUSIONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 652,516, dated June 26, 1900. Application filed February 5, 1900. $erial No. 4,055. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLPH KOTIN, a subject of the Emperor of Russia, residing at 11 Abbey Gardens, Abbey road, St. Johns Wood, London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Buildings or Edifices Constructed for the Production of Optical Illusions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for public amusement, and comprises the novel house or edifice hereinafter described.

According to my said invention I so construct a house, edifice, or structure that the roof or that portion of it resembling the roof will rest or be supported upon the groundthat is to say, I practically build the said house, edifice, or structure upside down. The interior of the edifice is also so fitted up and constructed that persons entering the same will encounter optical and other illusions, as hereinafter set forth.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, I will describe it by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an edifice constructed according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of the edifice. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the topmost floor. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional View illustrating a detail hereinafter described, and Fig. 7 is a similar view of a further detail. Fig. 1 is drawn to a smaller scale than the other figures.

In the construction shown the inverted edilice a is supported upon the chimney-stacks b and upon the towers c c c 0 although it could, as will be obvious, be supported upon the roof-ridge in cases where no towers are provided.

Entrances d cl to the building are provided in the upper parts (or in the inverted building the lower parts) of the towers c and c, and from these entrances staircases c 0 lead upward from floor to floor (the visitor, however, appearing to descend) until they open at f, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, upon the part g of the building representing the foundation or base Each floor within the building or edifice is divided into several chambers or rooms and corridors and the like, as clearly shown, and these rooms, 850., are so fitted with mirrors as to give rise to interesting and amusing illusions. For example, I form a room 2', (see Fig. 6,) having a ceiling composed of mirrors or looking-glasses 0 and with similarly-reflecting walls i The floor i of the room is raised so as to be somewhat higher than that of the adjacent rooms or corridors. this floor is placed suitable furniture, such as the chair i and couch 2' shown, and the room may be occupied by one or more persons, both the former and the latter being reflected upon the ceiling in a reversed position. This room or apartmentt' is separated Upon from another room or from a suitable corridor or passage j by a wall or partition is of such a height as to prevent the persons passing through the said room or corridor looking over it, while at the same time admitting of their. seeing the ceiling t" of the room i on the other side of it, the reflection of the furniture and persons therein appearing, as before said, in an inverted position. The ceiling j of the outer room or corridor j is considerably higher than that of the inner room t' and has hanging therefrom suitable furniture, such as the chair 7' shown. The raised floor i of the inner room 7 and the ceilingj of the outer room j are equidistant from the ceiling 7), so that the furniture refiected in the latter appears in a line with and in the same chamber or room as the ceiling j. Were the ceilings and floors of both the inner room and of the outer room, corridor, or passage placed on the same level, as shown in Fig. 5, it will be obvious that the reflections in the mirror or looking-glass ceiling 2" of the inner room i would appear considerably higher up or farther oif than the actual ceiling and hanging furniture of the outer room, corridor, or passage 7'. I also and and consists of the six-sided passage 1,

having extending centrally along ita slightlyraised platform Z with a hand-rail Z at each side thereof, which platform Z admits of persons passing through the corridor or passage Z and of their being mirrored or reflected in the various mirrors or looking-glasses forming the floor, walls, and ceiling. This arrangement gives rise to a diversity of curious and amusing effects.

Another amusing and interesting illusion can be produced by forming any suitable part or parts of the building, such as the corridor or the head of the stairs, as shown in Fig. 7, with a wall composed of mirrors or lookingglasses m m set at such an angle the one to the other that persons standing in front thereof will see themselves and each other reflected or mirrored in the lower part of the wall in a reversed position or upside down. In order to insure proper and complete reflections of the visitors, I provide a hand-rail or barrier n to prevent their approaching too close to the mirrors, and that portion of the floor within the said barrier or hand-rail n is advantageously also formed of mirrors or the like 0 and slightly sloping inward or toward the wall, as clearly shown. Furthermore, one or -more of the rooms or compartments, such as that shown at 19, Fig. 5, can be constructed with a spring-floor q, whereby when the'visitors enter the room and tread upon the said floor the latter sways and totters. To intensify the effect, the front of the room is floored with glass or other suitable transparent material r, and beneath this transparent floor there are arranged two mirrors 8 s, placed at an angle of forty-five degrees to the said floor and at ninety degrees to one another. This arrangement reflects an image of the sky up through the transparent floor r,so that persons standing upon the said floor appear to be looking at the sky.

It is obvious that I may so arrange mirrors or looking-glasses or the like in various other ways that they will give the impression or illusion that the people or objects or both are in a reversed position and in keeping with the character of the building or edifice.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that What I claim is- 1. A building or edifice constructed in an inverted position or upside down and the interior of which is arranged to give the impression that it also is inverted, substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. In an edifice, the combination with the inverted building, of a room provided with a spring-floor, said floor having a transparent portion adapted to project the image of the sky into said room by means of mirrors, substantially as described.

3. In an edifice, the combination with the inverted building, of a room provided with mirrors on the floor, three walls and ceiling, a partition forming a portion of the third wall, and a ceiling outside of said room higher than the ceiling of said room and mirrors placed on the wall adjacent to said ceiling outside of said room adapted to reflect images fastened thereto, substantially as described.

4. In an edifice, the combination with the inverted building, of a passage-way polygonal in vertical cross-section and provided with scribed.

5. In an edifice, the combination with the inverted building, of a stairway provided at its landing with mirrors adapted to reflect objects in an inverted position, substantially as described.

6. In an edifice, the combination wit the inverted building, of rooms and corridoi s vided with mirrors on the floor and ceiling and walls at angles to each other, and with springs under portions of the floor and transparent portions in said floor adapted to project the image of the sky by means of mirrors, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ADOLPH KOTIN. VVit-nesses:

EDWARD P. MACLEAN, JOHN S. ABERCROMBIE. 

